Scroggy: Denis, as a world-class expert, can you explain exactly what a Shmoo is?

Kitchen: Sure! The Shmoo was the invention of Al Capp. His "Li'l Abner" daily strip was among the most popular of all time and Capp himself was the most famous cartoonist of his era. But he became even more famous and much wealthier when Li'l Abner discovered these lovable little armless creatures in 1948 in a hidden Dogpatch valley. Shmoos loved humans. They regularly laid both eggs and bottles of milk. One would sacrifice itself on the spot if a person looked at it hungrily. Fried Shmoo tastes like chicken and, broiled, like steak. Its skin is excellent leather. A Shmoo's eyes make buttons and its whiskers are perfect toothpicks. On top of that, Shmoos multiply like crazy, so anyone with a pair of Shmoos is self-sufficient. And, subsequently, lazy. With Shmoos proliferating, government and industry soon teetered on collapse. Thus the ironic downside of Shmoos: they are too good for humanity.

Scroggy: Was it popular?

Kitchen: Unbelievably popular! As a LIFE magazine headline put it, the "U.S. Became Shmoo-Struck!" A hundred licensed products from seventy-five manufacturers were produced the first year alone. Simon & Shuster sold nearly a million Shmoo books. Other products sold as much as several million units each. Shmoos entered the 1948 Truman/Dewey presidential debate. Shmoos were airlifted to Berlin during the Soviet blockade, causing a "near-riot." The U.S. government even issued Shmoo Savings Bonds. I could go on and on!

Scroggy: Pretty amazing! What's the significance of the Shmoo in today's geopolitical climate?

Kitchen: [Hearty laugh]. In the late 1940s and early 1950s America's top magazines literally debated whether the Shmoo represented Socialism at its worst or Capitalism at its worst. Capp's own position was that the Shmoo represented the goodness of the earth itself; that the planet was eager to give us what we needed, as long as humans showed it respect. So the Shmoo fits right in with today's ecological movement.

Scroggy: Does the Dark Horse vinyl figure of the Shmoo compare well to the vintage products?

Kitchen: I can honestly say that Dark Horse's vinyl Shmoo is one of the coolest and best-produced of all the Shmoo collectibles. It's right up there with the Shmoo room deodorizer, the Shmoo punching bag, the Shmoo fishing lure, and Shmoo earmuffs! Too bad it doesn't lay eggs . . .